Perserverance pays off

Press, 25 February 1980, Page 22

Perserverance pays off

Special correspondent Auckland

A Canterbury apprentice, Stephen Woodsford, aged 19, took full marks for perseverance with his success on Scotch Mist at Avondale on Saturday. Less than 12 months ago he might well have despaired of ■ carrying on as a jockey. Young Woodsford, an employee of Scotch Mist s trainers R- T. and Mrs Harris was unlucky enough last Ma’rch to break a leg. Afterwards he had a spill which gave him a broken wrist. It was while doing a good turn, helping out another local trainer, that he suffered his broken leg. . The injury was specially galling because it happened just before the Marlboro Mile in which Woodsford was to have ridden the stable runner and eventual winner Brutus, and it kept him from riding for some four of five months. Woodsford took up the regular riding of Scotch Mist again at Rotorua on February 9 and Saturday’s Epsom Handicap was his third race meanwhile on the gelding. Scotch Mist had run moderately in the earlier two sprints at Ellerslie on February 16 and February 19 as he did at Rotorua. But he was a different proposition altogether at Avondale, in front as they made the homei turn and never afterwards threatened. All Woodsford had to do was keep Scotch Mist going. Shahman ran closest at the finish but two lengths away, and Royal Fencer was a further length away in third P1 Even conceding the field to have been sadly weakened by scratchings — they no fewer than lo and that

meant 11 starters — Scotch Mist was greatly impressive. What his trainer now has to decide is whether to tackle next Saturday’s 2000 m Air New Zealand Stakes with the horse.

A good-looking three-year-old, Scotch Mist has yet to try a distance but he runs out the best of his sprints as though likely to manage 2000 m well enough. While trained from the-. Harris’ stables at Tuahiwi,. Scotch Mist has been in the North Island for all but one of his last 11 starts. Mrs Harris, who shares the ownership with a Dunedin ’ mother and son, Mrs R. M/ and Mr R? J. Wilson, brought the horse to Te Aroha in-.; early December for a on to Avondale for a first, and a second then ran him unsuccessfully in the Rail-; way at Ellerslie before taking him back for Reefton on January 9. . Scotch Mist won and set a 1400 m record at Reefton, competed twice at the Weilington Cup meeting then came further north again for Rotorua. Perhaps the liking he showed in December that he has for Avondale was an influence on Scotch Mist s better form last week-end. But Mrs Harris, who knows the horse thoroughly, is more inclined to think that he has only now shaken off an J n " fection of some sort that had him off colour for a bit. Mrs Harris and her two partners had to pay only $9OO for Scotch Mist when he was not quite two years old. They got a bargain because already the horse has had H wins. If the Ellerslie race next Saturday is passed over Scotch Mist will very likely be set for Trentham next March and/or Awapuni.